Brief report for my first IM which I really enjoyed. Even though this was my first IM distance I wanted to set a target that I could work towards which was sub 11. In the swim, my target was 55. My plan was to keep it steady and smooth but realised at midway that I wouldn't make 55 because I split in 28. I missed the opportunity to draft anyone so had to go solo. Noticed a few swimmers quite wide of the buoys at some points. Tried to build it on the second lap but ended up with 56:50.

In T1 I put on sunscreen and realised my wetsuit had rubbed skin off my neck. Speaking to a few people it seems itís a design flaw in the older 2XU suits.

Onto the bike and plan was to keep HR at < 140 BPM and get as close to 6 hours as possible. First 60km went through in 1:58, average HR of 143 BPM so a little high. Second 60km went through in 2:04, average HR of 137 BPM. Third 60km, went through in 2:06, average HR of 129 BPM, I realised I was losing time but didn't want to push too hard to get it back. Over the bike I had the following 4 bottles of isotonic, 1 water, 3 packs of clif gel bloks (2 caffeine), powerbar cookie dough and half a banana. Surprised by the amount of drafting going on. I was happy to sit back when people went ahead but a lot of groups riding together it seemed. Time was 6:07 so just short of my target but still felt good.

Through T2 and onto the run. Pace started around 5 min/km and I tried to edge it back a little. About 6km into the run my stomach started feeling really dodgy, pace dropped to around 6 min/km and I couldnít get my HR above 110 BPM. I ran past first set of toilets thinking it would pass but it didnít. Had to make toilet stop at 15km and I hoped it would help but still cramping with pace slowing. At 36km stomach pain subsided a little and I felt I could run again and started to find my form but then the stomach cramps came back on within 5 mins and I had to go back to jog/walk. Time was 4:46, for overall just over 12 hours.

I was just happy to finish by that point so not too disheartened with my time even though I was an hour outside my target. Think my problem was related to eating too soon to the run, not enough sipping fluids, or the clif gel bloks. Iíd tried them previously on my bike and they felt ok but never tried when followed by a run. I donít think my HR was too high in the run but maybe it was. If I was to do another one I would pay more attention to nutrition and consider getting power meter to help with pacing.

That evening I said I would never do one again, but the following morning I was already thinking about next one! Onto recovery week and was nice to get the legs spinning again. However on the Thursday of that week I hit a car after it was turning into a junction from the other side as I was cycling on the inside of slow moving traffic. Iíve now got a grade 4/5 dislocated ACJ still waiting for consultants to decide whether I will need surgery or not. Physio today so hopefully will find out more. Totally gutted to be losing all the fitness Iíve gained over the last year but determined to come back stronger.

Brief report for my first IM which I really enjoyed. Even though this was my first IM distance I wanted to set a target that I could work towards which was sub 11. In the swim, my target was 55. My plan was to keep it steady and smooth but realised at midway that I wouldn't make 55 because I split in 28. I missed the opportunity to draft anyone so had to go solo. Noticed a few swimmers quite wide of the buoys at some points. Tried to build it on the second lap but ended up with 56:50.

In T1 I put on sunscreen and realised my wetsuit had rubbed skin off my neck. Speaking to a few people it seems itís a design flaw in the older 2XU suits.

Onto the bike and plan was to keep HR at < 140 BPM and get as close to 6 hours as possible. First 60km went through in 1:58, average HR of 143 BPM so a little high. Second 60km went through in 2:04, average HR of 137 BPM. Third 60km, went through in 2:06, average HR of 129 BPM, I realised I was losing time but didn't want to push too hard to get it back. Over the bike I had the following 4 bottles of isotonic, 1 water, 3 packs of clif gel bloks (2 caffeine), powerbar cookie dough and half a banana. Surprised by the amount of drafting going on. I was happy to sit back when people went ahead but a lot of groups riding together it seemed. Time was 6:07 so just short of my target but still felt good.

Through T2 and onto the run. Pace started around 5 min/km and I tried to edge it back a little. About 6km into the run my stomach started feeling really dodgy, pace dropped to around 6 min/km and I couldnít get my HR above 110 BPM. I ran past first set of toilets thinking it would pass but it didnít. Had to make toilet stop at 15km and I hoped it would help but still cramping with pace slowing. At 36km stomach pain subsided a little and I felt I could run again and started to find my form but then the stomach cramps came back on within 5 mins and I had to go back to jog/walk. Time was 4:46, for overall just over 12 hours.

I was just happy to finish by that point so not too disheartened with my time even though I was an hour outside my target. Think my problem was related to eating too soon to the run, not enough sipping fluids, or the clif gel bloks. Iíd tried them previously on my bike and they felt ok but never tried when followed by a run. I donít think my HR was too high in the run but maybe it was. If I was to do another one I would pay more attention to nutrition and consider getting power meter to help with pacing.

That evening I said I would never do one again, but the following morning I was already thinking about next one! Onto recovery week and was nice to get the legs spinning again. However on the Thursday of that week I hit a car after it was turning into a junction from the other side as I was cycling on the inside of slow moving traffic. Iíve now got a grade 4/5 dislocated ACJ still waiting for consultants to decide whether I will need surgery or not. Physio today so hopefully will find out more. Totally gutted to be losing all the fitness Iíve gained over the last year but determined to come back stronger.

IMUK was my first full-distance race and found it very tough; was optimistically hoping for 12 hours, but came in at just over 13.

Interesting to hear that some people thought the swim was long, as that was the only part where I hit my target! Bike course was tough and conditions in the first few hours didn't make it any easier. My race fell apart on the run though; I was ticking along quite nicely for the first 12ish miles, but after the first loop around the city centre the hills took their toll on my legs and they just went into complete meltdown. Walked/shuffled the second half of the run and have never been so glad to see the finishing line of a race in my entire life!

It was a big lesson in full-distance racing but I'm keen to give it another shot next year and see if I can crack 12 hours (or at least do myself justice!).

It's somewhat encouraging to see that other people found it as tough of a day as I did! Congratulations to all those that finished and commiserations to those that didn't.

IMJ on FB is providing me and the other Pirates with lots of entertainment today.

Just stop it with the negativity okay! Is it me, or does Carl Jennings have verbal diarrhea... and he's only done one IM; you'd think he'd swum up Mt Everest.

Just in case anyone on here wasn't aware; the Bolton bags are crap, and the Outlaw ones are great quality

oh he DNF at Lanza by missing swim cutoff because he allegedly got caught in a rip tide that meant he couldn't get back in time. He then went and swam over two hours at Bolton. must have been a rip in the Flash too.
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oh he DNF at Lanza by missing swim cutoff because he allegedly got caught in a rip tide that meant he couldn't get back in time. He then went and swam over two hours at Bolton. must have been a rip in the Flash too.

I'm sure that's what a lot are thinking; the guy just needs to get down the pool and start training like there's a swim involved.

Way more aggro on IMJ than there ever is on here nowadays. You'd think with Forums being more anonymous you'd get more biff here, but not any more _________________25 Years since it all began....

Just out of curiosity, is there anyway to see a list of penalties or DQs handed out to athletes in the race?

In the last ~10k of the bike a guy in front of me lobbed a banana skin into a hedge right in front of one of the moto-marshalls; as he passed the marshall he gave him a very stern finger point and said something about littering, to which the guy protested that it was only a banana skin!

I'm not wanting to start a debate about it, just curious as to what happened to the guy, because a DQ (as per the rules) for something as trivial and avoidable at that point would be absolutely gutting! Not to mention having to complete the run without knowing whether or not it would officially count.

I've had a look on Strava Flyby (as I recall exactly where it happened) but it appears he's either not on it or has his stuff set to "Private". I didn't catch his number either...

Are you saying that a banana skin wouldn't/shouldn't be considered littering by the marshalls? I don't have strong opinions either way as I regularly do it myself on training rides, but can appreciate the argument that if 2000 people all show up in one town and start throwing banana skins everywhere then it starts to become more of an issue.

It's no skin off my nose at all, I'm not trying to retrospectively shop him to the authorities or anything! As I stated (twice) in my post, I'm just curious what, if anything, happened to the guy. If it was me I'd be gutted at getting a DQ for something so trivial for the sake of carrying it 10 mins back to T2.